A Great White Shark swims in Shark Alley near Dyer Island on July 8, 2010 in Gansbaai, South Africa. (Getty Images)

A Great White Shark swims in Shark Alley near Dyer Island on July 8, 2010 in Gansbaai, South Africa. (Getty Images)

Photo: Ryan Pierse, Getty Images

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Galeophobia: abnormal fear of sharks

Galeophobia: abnormal fear of sharks

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David McKee, a professor of Biology with Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, inspects the teeth of a dead 9-foot short-fin Mako Shark which was discovered on a beach across from the university campus in Corpus Christi, Dec. 6, 2006. An oceanic shark, it is very rare to find Mako Sharks in the gulf, McKee said.

David McKee, a professor of Biology with Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, inspects the teeth of a dead 9-foot short-fin Mako Shark which was discovered on a beach across from the university campus in

Kori Robertson puts ointment on the bite mark left from an apparent bull shark attack at Follett's Island on the Texas coast.

Kori Robertson puts ointment on the bite mark left from an apparent bull shark attack at Follett's Island on the Texas coast.

Photo: Cody Duty/Houston Chronicle

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A shark swims above a diver during a feeding demonstration at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa in 2006.

A shark swims above a diver during a feeding demonstration at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa in 2006.

Photo: DENIS FARRELL, AP

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A sign along the beach warns people about a shark attack in Solana Beach, Calif., April 26, 2008. A shark on attacked and killed a swimmer training in the ocean with a group of triathletes at the beach, authorities said.

A sign along the beach warns people about a shark attack in Solana Beach, Calif., April 26, 2008. A shark on attacked and killed a swimmer training in the ocean with a group of triathletes at the beach,

In this photo made available by The Kalahari Water Park, surfer Bethany Hamilton tries out the Flowrider, an indoor surfing ride, in Sandusky, Ohio, Thursday, July 7, 2005. Hamilton, age 15, of Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii, made headlines in October 2003, when she lost her left arm to an attack by a shark.

In this photo made available by The Kalahari Water Park, surfer Bethany Hamilton tries out the Flowrider, an indoor surfing ride, in Sandusky, Ohio, Thursday, July 7, 2005. Hamilton, age 15, of Hanalei, Kauai,

The damaged surfboard lays on the sand after a shark attack on a surfer at Marina State Beach in Marina, Calif., Aug. 28, 2007. The 24-year-old victim was attacked in Monterey Bay and airlifted to a hospital with bite wounds to his torso and thigh, according to hospital and state park officials.

The damaged surfboard lays on the sand after a shark attack on a surfer at Marina State Beach in Marina, Calif., Aug. 28, 2007. The 24-year-old victim was attacked in Monterey Bay and airlifted to a hospital

This undated publicity photo, provided by the Discovery Channel, shows Mike Rowe in protective underwater gear as he hosts an episode of the channel's "Shark Week."

This undated publicity photo, provided by the Discovery Channel, shows Mike Rowe in protective underwater gear as he hosts an episode of the channel's "Shark Week."

Photo: CLAUDIA PELLARINI, AP

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Two women console one another after viewing the body of a 66-year old swimmer who was killed by a shark while training with a group of triathletes off the coast in Solana Beach, Calif., April 25, 2008.

Two women console one another after viewing the body of a 66-year old swimmer who was killed by a shark while training with a group of triathletes off the coast in Solana Beach, Calif., April 25, 2008.

Photo: Sandy Huffaker, AP

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Diver Brad Norman photographs a whale shark at Ningaloo Marine Park, off the coast of Western Australia, in this undated handout picture.

Diver Brad Norman photographs a whale shark at Ningaloo Marine Park, off the coast of Western Australia, in this undated handout picture.

Photo: HO, REUTERS

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Pat Tworoger pays his respect at a makeshift memorial in Solana Beach, Calif., April 26, 2008. A shark attacked and killed a swimmer training in the ocean with a group of triathletes at the beach, authorities said.

Pat Tworoger pays his respect at a makeshift memorial in Solana Beach, Calif., April 26, 2008. A shark attacked and killed a swimmer training in the ocean with a group of triathletes at the beach, authorities

Bruce Grimes, an American expatriot who runs a local surf shop, shows his injured arm as he poses for a picture at the hospital in Ixtapa, along Mexico's Pacific Coast, May 27, 2008. Sharks had attacked three surfers in the area in less than a month, two fatally.

Bruce Grimes, an American expatriot who runs a local surf shop, shows his injured arm as he poses for a picture at the hospital in Ixtapa, along Mexico's Pacific Coast, May 27, 2008. Sharks had attacked three

In this photo provided by The Discovery Channel, Caribbean reef sharks are seen in Nassau, Bahamas.

In this photo provided by The Discovery Channel, Caribbean reef sharks are seen in Nassau, Bahamas.

Photo: Tim Calver, AP

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A a blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus, is shown in this March 2008 file photo in the Indian Ocean off Aliwal Shoal, South Africa.

A a blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus, is shown in this March 2008 file photo in the Indian Ocean off Aliwal Shoal, South Africa.

Photo: Matthew D. Potenski, AP

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In this June 24, 2011, photo, a leopard shark, foreground, found in 2007 in Bellingham Bay, and a California lizardfish, background, are shown at the Burke Museum in Seattle, Wash. The natural habitat for the leopard shark is from Mexico to southern Oregon.

In this June 24, 2011, photo, a leopard shark, foreground, found in 2007 in Bellingham Bay, and a California lizardfish, background, are shown at the Burke Museum in Seattle, Wash. The natural habitat for the

In this Aug 31, 2006, photo, a school of 250 to 300 pound bull sharks close in a redfish being caught in the Gulf of Mexico out of Sabine Pass near Port Arthur.

In this Aug 31, 2006, photo, a school of 250 to 300 pound bull sharks close in a redfish being caught in the Gulf of Mexico out of Sabine Pass near Port Arthur.

Photo: AP

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In this photo provided by Damian Diaz, from left, Diaz, James Sparks and Justin Lyons pose with an 8-foot bull shark caught July 3, 2011, on Bolivar Peninsula beach. The 300-pound shark caught by Diaz and his family was released back into the gulf after the group snapped a few photos to commemorate the catch.

In this photo provided by Damian Diaz, from left, Diaz, James Sparks and Justin Lyons pose with an 8-foot bull shark caught July 3, 2011, on Bolivar Peninsula beach. The 300-pound shark caught by Diaz and his

In this photo taken July 5, 2011, A marine biologist measures a dead hammerhead shark after it was caught by fishermen in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador.

In this photo taken July 5, 2011, A marine biologist measures a dead hammerhead shark after it was caught by fishermen in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador.

Photo: AP

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In this Aug. 31, 2006, photo, a large bull shark estimated at 300 pounds circles a boat fishing the the Gulf of Mexico out of Sabine Pass near Port Arthur.

In this Aug. 31, 2006, photo, a large bull shark estimated at 300 pounds circles a boat fishing the the Gulf of Mexico out of Sabine Pass near Port Arthur.

Photo: AP

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In this photo taken July 5, 2011, A fisherman holds a cat shark after catching it in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador.

In this photo taken July 5, 2011, A fisherman holds a cat shark after catching it in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador.

Photo: AP

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In this photo taken July 5, 2011, A fisherman cuts a hammerhead shark in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador. Thousands of young sharks in danger of extinction are regularly caught by fishing boats along the Ecuadorian coast to be sold mainly to Asian markets. A 2007 presidential decree authorized fishermen to sell shark meat and fins as long as the animals were caught by accident in fishing nets.

In this photo taken July 5, 2011, A fisherman cuts a hammerhead shark in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador. Thousands of young sharks in danger of extinction are regularly caught by fishing boats along the Ecuadorian

Gayne C. Young poses with a 10 foot, 4 inch hammerhead shark he caught in the Baha Peninsula Saturday, May 21, 2011. Young, who blogs for Outdoor Life magazine, received an interview response from Russian

Airmen 1st class Daniel Clark, left, and Staff Sgt. Keri Embry, post a sign warning surfers of a recent shark attack, Oct. 22, 2010, at Vandenburg AFB, Calif. Lucas Ransom, 19, was boogie-boarding in the surf line about 100 yards off of Surf Beach with a friend when a shark suddenly pulled him under the water shortly before 9 a.m., according to a statement from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department.

Bill Chaprales tags a great white shark aboard the Ezyduzit, off of the eastern point of South Monomoy in Chatham, Mass, July 31 2010. After a spotter plane saw the great white swimming near South Beach, officials closed the eastern shore of the beach to swimming for the weekend.

Bill Chaprales tags a great white shark aboard the Ezyduzit, off of the eastern point of South Monomoy in Chatham, Mass, July 31 2010. After a spotter plane saw the great white swimming near South Beach,

Rick Underbrink and a 76 inch spinner shark he caught at Padre Island National Seashore.

Rick Underbrink and a 76 inch spinner shark he caught at Padre Island National Seashore.

Photo: Photo By Eric "Oz" Ozolins

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This image provided by the Massachusets State Division of Marine Fisheries shows a great white shark swimming in the waters near Cape Cod, Mass., in 2004.

This image provided by the Massachusets State Division of Marine Fisheries shows a great white shark swimming in the waters near Cape Cod, Mass., in 2004.

Photo: AP

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A black tip shark caught along the Texas coast.

A black tip shark caught along the Texas coast.

Photo: Fotos By Oz

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SeaWorld Summer Science Academy camp counselor Kelli Forde teaches San Antonio Independent School District students various sea life at the Shark/The Coral exhibit in 2009.

SeaWorld Summer Science Academy camp counselor Kelli Forde teaches San Antonio Independent School District students various sea life at the Shark/The Coral exhibit in 2009.

Photo: JERRY LARA, San Antonio Express-News

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Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon shows off a baby bonnethead shark she caught while fishing in Florida during the 2009 offseason.

Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon shows off a baby bonnethead shark she caught while fishing in Florida during the 2009 offseason.

Photo: COURTESY PHOTO

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The bull shark caught by Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon while fishing in Florida during the 2009 offseason was brought near the boat but not aboard.

The bull shark caught by Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon while fishing in Florida during the 2009 offseason was brought near the boat but not aboard.

Photo: COURTESY PHOTO

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People view the female great white shark on display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Aug. 28, 2008. This is the fourth great white shark that the aquarium has put on display in the Outer Bay exhibit.

People view the female great white shark on display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Aug. 28, 2008. This is the fourth great white shark that the aquarium has put on display in the Outer Bay exhibit.

Photo: Vern Fisher

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The bonnethead shark looks like a hammerhead and grows to about four feet long.

The bonnethead shark looks like a hammerhead and grows to about four feet long.

Photo: RON HENRY STRAIT

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Russell Pagel lifts an Atlantic sharpnose shark before releasing it.

Russell Pagel lifts an Atlantic sharpnose shark before releasing it.

Photo: RON HENRY STRAIT/STAFF

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A lemon shark glides by during shark encounter snorkeling trip in Bora Bora in 2007.

A lemon shark glides by during shark encounter snorkeling trip in Bora Bora in 2007.

Photo: Bob Chamberlin, Los Angeles Times

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Possible World Record Hammerhead Donated to Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, Fla.

Possible World Record Hammerhead Donated to Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, Fla.

Photo: AP

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A shark at the Georgia Aquarium, located near Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta.

A shark at the Georgia Aquarium, located near Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta.

Photo: Handout, KRT

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Julian Elizondo, 12, of Seabrook, sits between his mother Joyce Elizondo and, from left, doctors David Yngve and Jason Norcross as he talks about injuries he sustained from a shark bite during a press conference at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Aug. 26, 2005. Julian was bitten on his left foot while walking in knee-deep water near Crystal Beach, Aug. 19, 2005.

Lydia Paulk, 14, of Dallas, N.C., walks into a news conference on crutches followed by her brother Jonathan, 12, in Charlotte, N.C., July 21, 2005. Paulk was injured by a shark attack near Galveston and was recovering after surgery on her left foot.

Lydia Paulk, 14, of Dallas, N.C., walks into a news conference on crutches followed by her brother Jonathan, 12, in Charlotte, N.C., July 21, 2005. Paulk was injured by a shark attack near Galveston and was

Paramedics treat Armin Trojer, 19, of Baden, Austria, after a shark bit his right ankle while swimming in chest deep water of Gasparilla Island in Boca Grande, Fla., July 1, 2005. Trojer's father, left with stripped shirt, points to the area where his son was attacked. Armin was airlifted to a local hospital for treatment.

Paramedics treat Armin Trojer, 19, of Baden, Austria, after a shark bit his right ankle while swimming in chest deep water of Gasparilla Island in Boca Grande, Fla., July 1, 2005. Trojer's father, left with

Walton County Sheriff's Deputies patrol the beaches of east Destin, FL on Saturday afternoon on June 25, 2005, after a shark attacked a 14-year-old girl killing her about two miles from this location.

Walton County Sheriff's Deputies patrol the beaches of east Destin, FL on Saturday afternoon on June 25, 2005, after a shark attacked a 14-year-old girl killing her about two miles from this location.

Photo: MARI DARR~WELCH, AP

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Sharks are among the most feared sea creatures known to man, especially since a 1970s book and movie told of a great white shark terrorizing a small tourist town in Rhode Island. But there rarely attack in Texas, and some say they're now threatened by humans.

Sharks are among the most feared sea creatures known to man, especially since a 1970s book and movie told of a great white shark terrorizing a small tourist town in Rhode Island. But there rarely attack in

** PLEASE NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT ** A teenage boy who was critically injured Monday in the second shark attack in three days along Florida's northwestern coast, is taken from a medical helicopter in Panama City, Fla., June 27, 2005, before being driven to Bay Medical Center. The boy was attacked off Cape San Blas, a popular vacation destination.

** PLEASE NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT ** A teenage boy who was critically injured Monday in the second shark attack in three days along Florida's northwestern coast, is taken from a medical helicopter in Panama City,

Bethany Hamilton,14, the teenage surfer who was attacked by a shark while surfing in Hawaii and lost an arm, carves up a wave during a competition at Trestles, June 25, 2004, near San Clemente, Calif.

Bethany Hamilton,14, the teenage surfer who was attacked by a shark while surfing in Hawaii and lost an arm, carves up a wave during a competition at Trestles, June 25, 2004, near San Clemente, Calif.

Photo: ALLEN J. SCHABEN, AP

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Bethany Hamilton arrives at the ESPY awards on Wednesday, July 13, 2011, in Los Angeles.

Bethany Hamilton arrives at the ESPY awards on Wednesday, July 13, 2011, in Los Angeles.

Photo: Associated Press

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Sharks 101

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Sharks like Gulf Coast waters.

Fishermen about 50 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico were surprised in March when a 375-pound shark jumped into their fishing boat. A forklift at a Freeport dock lifted the mako shark off the boat.

Off Follett's Island near Surfside, a college student was bitten on the thigh by a shark on Memorial Day. A shark chomped on a 12-year-old boy's foot Thursday along Sunday Beach on Matagorda Island. Both are OK.

An angler hooked a 4-foot bull shark at Matagorda Beach July 2. Three Beaumont friends hauled in a 300-pound bull shark near Rollover Pass on Bolivar Peninsula on July 3.

Both of those sharks were released. Think about that the next time you are splashing along the beach.

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SWIMMING WITH SHARKS

More than two dozen species of sharks live along the Texas Gulf Coast. Bull, tiger, blacktip, hammerhead, Atlantic sharpnose and lemon sharks are the most common.

SHARK FIN SOUP

Humans kill 80 million to 100 million sharks a year. By comparison, sharks kill four or five people worldwide, writes Juliet Eilperin, author of Demon Fish (Pantheon, 320 pp. $26.95)

BATMAN'S SHARK REPELLENT BAT-SPRAY DOESN'T WORK

To avoid starring in your own shark tale, stay out of the water at dawn, dusk and night when sharks are feeding. Sharks are attracted to shiny objects and blood. Swimming with dogs also may lure sharks since the rapid beating of a dog's heart, coupled with its quick movements, can mimic the signals of a fish in distress, according to Juliet Eilperin's Demon Fish.

JUMP THE SHARK

Sharks we wish were real: Land Shark of Saturday Night Live, JabberJaw, Kenny the Shark and Sherman of Sherman's Lagoon. Sharks we hope to never meet: Jaws (especially the crazed one in The Revenge), those dancing Sharks in West Side Story, and S.J. Sharkie, the mascot of the San Jose Sharks ice hockey team.

"A relationship, I think, is like a shark. You know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies. And I think what we got on our hands is a dead shark."

Albie Singer(Woody Allen) in Annie Hall.

"Sharks are the criminals of the sea. Dolphins are the outlaws."

From Still Life With Woodpeckerby Tom Robbins.

"Did you know dolphins are just gay sharks?"

Brittany Pierce (Heather Morris) in Glee.

AND AVOID AMITY

New Smyrna Beach, Fla., is often called the shark attack capital of the world. In June, an Orlando Sentinel photographer got a shot of a shark jumping over a surfer.

SHARK BOYS AND GIRLS

Almost 70 percent of sharks have live births. The pups are born as self-sufficient sharks following a gestation period of 6 to 22 months. Shark species that lay eggs usually anchor the capsules in plants, according to the Shark Foundation.

DOES THE SHARK STILL LOOK FAKE?

The majority of lethal attacks on humans have been attributed to three species: the great white shark, the tiger shark and the bull shark.

LIVE EVERY WEEK LIKE IT'S SHARK WEEK

Discovery Channel's Shark Week begins July 31 at 8 p.m. with two premieres: Great White Invasion and Jaws Comes Home.

MASTER PREDATORS

The ancestry of sharks dates back millions of years before the earliest known dinosaur. Five-inch teeth of the "Megatooth" shark are prized by amateur fossil collectors. About 1,100 species of sharks exist today, according to ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research.